From this Moment
by jussjeni06
Summary: Bella and Edward meet in middle school. Follow them through life, heartbreak, friendships, and love. Not your avg BxE story. Will eventually turn military. Canon couples.
1. Chapter 1

Authors Note:

Okay guys, like I said… this is pretty much the story of my life. Don't expect this to be a love at first sight thing, and don't expect things to always happen how you want them to. Remember, I do believe in happy endings! If some times in their life seem short, it's because I have almost 15 years to cover in this story!

*** I am reposting this story. I went on a hiatus with it last time and I am editing through the chapters and doing it again. I have lots of time now what with being a stay at home mom (I just had twins!).

Disclaimer: All belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just do my bidding with the characters

Bella POV:

I can't believe I am doing this. I can't believe mom is making me do this. I have to go to school. Normally this isn't such a big issue but today… Ugh, today is going to be horrible! See, today is going to be the first day for the Forks Middle School. They have officially joined Forks Elementary School and Port Angeles Elementary School. Before, we were just both K-8 schools, but now we had to join.

Whoever thought this was a good idea was stupid. Seriously. Stupid idea.

"Bells, get down here! You're going to be late for your first day with all the new kids at the new school!" That's Renee. She's my mom. She is the person I am closest to, except for my friend Emmett. He is my best friend, but my mom is my rock. Charlie, my father, and I aren't close therefore I turn to Renee more than anyone.

"Mom, I don't even want to go. Can't you just call and tell them I'm sick? I really am sick. See?" I tell her as I fake cough. She gives me that 'yeah, right, and I'm from the planet Pluto' kind of look. I can see already that this is a lost cause so I give up and decide to go outside and catch the bus. I give her a quick kiss on the cheek and tell her to pray for me. She just rolls her eyes at me. That's why we get along. We are pretty much the same person.

I walk to wait for the bus. That's another thing I hate. Before, I didn't have to ride the bus for very long. I could even walk to school had I wanted to. Now, though, they put the middle school in the middle of nowhere and almost everyone has to ride the bus. I look down at my clothes, regretting not putting on that hoodie that I love so much. It's definitely one of my 'go-to' pieces of clothing. It's grey with tiny hole in the side that only I could see. I'm pretty sure I had stolen that from Emmett. Instead, I wore light blue jeans with a long sleeved purple shirt. My hair was down for a change, although I knew it would be up in a ponytail before I made it home. I never made it an entire day with my hair down. As I wait for the bus, I am thankful that the bus ride will still be the same. These people are the same people that I've ridden the bus with for the past five years. I never thought I would be that happy about the concept of riding a bus with those people, but eh, it happens.

I look around and I see all of the fall colors slowly start to spring to life. I love fall. I love the way the leaves dance around the yard when the wind blows, and how the colors of fall outside can brighten up my day, no matter how bad it has been. I love the weather too. Not too hot and not too cold-yet. Still rain 9 days out of 10, but at least the temperature is reasonable.

Finally, the bus pulls up. As I get on I tell the bus driver hello and tread my way between the seats to my normal spot: the back seat. This is where I have always sat, ever since I met Emmett. Speaking of which, there he is sitting in the seat across from mine.

"Belly-bean!" he screams as soon as I get about a foot away from him.

"Em, you know I hate that name, so why do you insist on using it?" I glare at him. He has known, since we met in the third grade, that I absolutely hate being called Belly-bean. I hate that name almost as much as I hate being called Isabella. But, where Em is concerned, it's a moot point. He doesn't listen anyway.

"Duh! Because I love it! I don't care if you do or not." He smiles. I have missed him this summer. His family took him away on some kind of trip, so I didn't get to see him after the first week of vacation. I look at him and notice that wherever he went must have been a beach because he is awfully tan (which is odd for Washington). I also notice he has replaced the hoodie I stole from him a couple years ago finally.

"Are you nervous?" I ask him as I start fidgeting with my necklace. That's what I do when I'm nervous. I fidget with my necklace and I bite my lip. I'm not sure why, but it's what I do best, seeing as how I am almost always nervous.

Emmett gives me his normal look- the eye roll.

"Of course I'm not nervous Belly! And you shouldn't be either! This is going to be great! There are going to be more hot chicks in this school, a variety to choose from!" Leave it to him to worry about the girls in the school. His hormones hit him at about the end of last year. He's been driving me crazy ever since.

"I just hope we have some of the same classes or I may go crazy. Speaking of which, what classes do you have? I have Algebra, Science, English, and some keyboarding class." I tell him as he starts looking for his schedule. It takes him almost the entire bus ride to find it. School is barely starting and he's already made a huge mess of his backpack. Now that I look at it, I feel like that's his backpack from last year… with his English book from last year. Lazy butt.

"I have the same except for Algebra. They put me in remedial math. Apparently a great mind such as mine is not ready for Algebra. We can't all be geniuses like you Belly-Bean!" He rolls his eyes for the 15th time already this morning

I roll my eyes as well, thankful that at least we have a few of the same classes. I'm not entirely sure I would have made it through the day without having him around. I'm also not entirely sure he will make it through the day if he doesn't quit rolling his eyes at me!

We get off the bus and proceed to our first classes. Everything is the same as it is with the start of every school year. The teacher makes you stand up and say your name and tell the class something about you. I hate this part. I hate any attention being drawn to me that is unnecessary. Regardless, I do what the teacher asks, in order to avoid getting in trouble on the first day. It's too early for my mom to get a call from the school because I'm in detention. She'd kill me.

As I am walking to my Science class, I am looking forward to sitting with Emmett for the rest of the day. Fate apparently had other plans. As soon as I walk into the room I hear the teacher telling us to look for our names on the tables. We have assigned seating. I know I won't be beside Em because he is already sitting down chatting up this pretty blonde girl. Insane! He's already letting his hormones get the best of him!

I look around and see my name written on a table. There is a boy at the table already. I'm guessing she has broken us up into partners seeing as how the table only fits two people. I nervously look to Emmett in hopes of catching his eye. I do, and I nod nervously to the seat. He just mouths for me to breathe and winks at me. He knows me too well. I don't do that well socializing with people I don't know. I'm not really shy, but I am definitely not going to talk to someone if they don't want to talk to me.

I sit down beside this boy and try to get a look at him without being completely rude. Most people don't like it if you stare. I know I hate that! He has a weird shaped bronze color hair. He's a little chubby but nothing too drastic. He turns to me and gives me an Emmett-worthy smile.

"Um, hi. My name is Bella. I hate that they have joined our schools together to form a middle school." I start to ramble. I'm a nervous talker too if you couldn't already tell. Actually, I'm a talker anyway (as long as we have talked before) but it's really bad when I get nervous. It's like I can't stop.

"Hey. My name is Edward. Me too. They should have waited until next year when we will be in high school."

"Well I am glad that we at least both agree on that. You think this is her way of making us lab partners?" I ask as I gesture to the two person tables. He nods and we don't get a chance to talk much after that.

I go through the rest of the day. I met a girl named Alice who I just know is going to be a good friend. I found out that that girl that Emmett was hitting on is a girl named Rosalie. She looks stuck up but Em assures me she is not. I can't stand stuck up people!

When I got home, Renee was waiting to bombard me with questions. How was it? Meet any cute boys? Was Emmett on his best behavior? Meet any new friends? She's a little scatterbrained, but she's nothing if not thorough. I tell her about my day. I tell her about Edward, who as it turns out, will be my lab partner. I tell her about Alice, and how I invited her to come over later today. Renee seems excited and starts fretting around cleaning up the house. Seriously though, we are teenagers. I don't think she will notice if the house isn't in tip top perfectly cleaned shape. But, I am not one to argue with my mom when she gets on a cleaning kick.

At about 5 o'clock I hear the doorbell ring. I jump up to answer it, knowing it will be Alice. When I get to the I find not only Alice, but Edward too.

"Hey Alice, hey Edward. What are you doing here Edward?" I ask as I gesture for them to come in. Alice tells me about Edward being her brother. Hmm, weird, never would have figured that out. She also tells me that her mom had to go to the store so they both had to come here.

"I hope this is alright Bella and Mrs. Swan. I don't want to be a bother?" He says more like a question than a statement. My mom assures him he is more than welcome to come over and tells him he is quite the gentleman. We all go upstairs to my room, including Edward, and start to get to know one another.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Hey guys! If you're reading this, please review! I want to know if this is worth continuing or not. As I said before, don't expect your typical Edward/Bella story. They aren't going to fall in love over night. Also, if its in italic its kind of like Bella talking/thinking in present day. That's not how things work in the real world! I know that at some parts these characters are OOC, but for the most part I'm trying to keep them the same. Enjoy!

_I remember those days like they were yesterday. So much of my life began with those first few days of middle school. It is amazing to think of it now. When Edward came over with Alice that night, he pretty much just hung out with us like we had all been friends our entire life. It was nice having more friends like that since, before, I only had Emmett. It was a comforting feeling really._

_Days then seemed to pass in a more fun manner. Edward, Alice, Em, Rosalie, and I had many classes together and we always sat at the same lunch table every day. We would laugh obnoxiously and joke around constantly landing us with many detentions and funny stares from our peers. I can't say that I really cared. I was having fun for the first time in my life with someone who wasn't my big goofball, Emmett. Although, when it came to Em, there wasn't often a time that I didn't get funny looks._

_One day about two months after school started, someone came up to me in the hallway as I was walking to my Algebra class._

"Hey! Bella!"

"Hey… Mike? That is your name right?" I couldn't really be sure at this point.

"Yeah! We are in the same Algebra class." Mike had a very nice, boyish face with blonde spiked hair. His clothes were leaning toward the preppy look with his light blue jeans and green polo shirt. I thought he was cute! He was obviously from Port Angeles Elementary. Forks Elementary was small so if he were from that school, I probably would have known his entire life history. Have I mentioned small towns suck?

"Yeah, I remember you. You always sit with Jessica right?"

He quickly responded, "Yes, but she's not my girlfriend you know." I smiled. That was good to know. He was very cute and no one ever approached him because they assumed he was with Jessica. If there was one person you didn't mess with, it was Jessica Stanley. She was a BIG b-word when she thought you were after something she wanted. I knew that from a friend's past experience. Apparently, everyone was wrong. He smiled back and made easy conversation with me as he walked me to our Algebra class.

While we were in Algebra, I chanced a look in his direction, which happened to be the very back row of the classroom. Mike looked happy to see that he was capturing my interest but Jessica looked furious. She took the saying "if looks could kill" to a whole new level. Her normally happy face turned sour the second my head turned to look towards Mike. I was a nervous kid and thought I must be treading on thin water so I snapped my head back to the front almost as soon as I turned it to the back row.

I spent the next hour of class silently begging that I wouldn't have some girl trying to beat me up after class because she thinks I'm trying to steal her boyfriend or whatever. Eighth graders are immature. I hope when we get to high school kids act different.

Thankfully, I was spared having to worry about that by Edward. When I walked outside of the classroom Edward was there wondering if we could get together during lunch and fix our lab assignment for science. I was pretty sure it was his turn to do it this week. I mentally calculated the weeks and came to a conclusion: he didn't do it.

"Edward, this was your week to do the worksheet!" I glared at him. I almost always had to do it myself. I shouldn't even pretend to let him do it because I always knew that in the end, I'll be the one completing it.

"I know, Bella! But I swear I got busy!"

"Playing online all night is NOT a good enough reason not to do your work, Edward!" I swear we had that conversation every week. He always stayed up all night and played games online and then thought it's a good excuse not to do his work! No ma'am it wasn't!

"I know, Bella. But please, it won't happen again. Just help me? It's your paper too." Ugh, let me tell you what. He was good with those guilt trips. He knew I would never let us fail because I was NOT going to let my grade suffer because he was lazy.

"Fine, Edward. But this is REALLY the last time I am going to help you! I'm sick of having to do the work. If you're not going to do it to begin with, just say it so I can save us both some lunch time and just have it done before I come to school!" He was really starting to tick me off with this. I grumbled something incoherent about him being a lazy jerk and walked to my locker.

When I opened the locker to get my books, a note fell to the floor. I grabbed it quickly, wondering who in the world would be writing me a note, and better yet, who would know where my locker is. I opened the letter. It was from Mike.

_Bella,_

_I know we don't know each other much, but I like you a lot. Will you be my girlfriend?_

_Mike_

Typical 13 year old boy right there I guess. He was right though, I didn't really know him. I had never even had a boyfriend before. What if he like… wants to go on dates? I didn't know how to date! I didn't know how to kiss. I didn't know how to do anything. Talking to Alice crossed my mind, but instead I just put yes at the bottom of the note and put it in his locker on the way to class.

I figured that I didn't have much to lose at that point.

Going with Mike is just what I did. He turned out to be a good decision. We would talk on the phone every night, and he would sit with me on the bleachers at school every morning. We would pass notes in between classes, and sometimes get caught and get in trouble. It was worth it. I really liked Mike. He seemed to be like a good guy.

Not only was Mike a good guy, but now it seemed like I felt more… normal. I said before that I'm a nervous kid. Well, that had made me not so lucky in the boyfriend department. I mean, I know I was only thirteen but I liked the feeling of having my first boyfriend. Now, I won't drone on and on about how ugly I was, because I wouldn't call myself ugly, even then. I'm average. Nothing special, but nothing hideous either.

Every day after school, I would go over to Alice's house and we would talk about our boyfriends/crushes. It was so relieving to have someone to share that kind of thing with. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love Renee, but she is not the person I want to go to about boy troubles. The thought of that still kind of makes me want to puke.

"So how is the boyfriend?" Alice inquired. She did this every day. It was almost like she knew something that I didn't know, which knowing Alice, she probably did.

"He's good, as usual." This was my automatic reply. Usually I would sit there and tell her just how amazing Mike was. It was true too. He was so nice, he walked me to class, he did everything a boy his age should do. I really, REALLY liked him.

"Awesome." Alice was at my house. She was insistent on doing my fingernails. Why, I don't know. I'm not the girly type, but she sure is. She gets mad when she doesn't get her way too so I might as well just let her at it. I refer to this as Alice's 'Bella-Barbie' time.

"So, has Mike asked you to the dance yet?" Alice was crazy about this dance. Alice and some Ben guy were evidently going. I wasn't so sure about it. I had never been to a dance before and if I were honest, I didn't really want to go. A school dance was surely just another way to embarrass myself by tripping over something. Did I mention I was a klutz? I trip over air.

"Alice, we have been over this a thousand times. I don't want to go to the dance. I'm a danger magnet. I will end up breaking my leg!" It was true. We had been over this a thousand times and I was, and still am, a danger magnet.

"Bella, Mike would never let you get hurt. He loves you." It seemed like he did. We had been going out for five months at that point. Things seemed to be going excellently. He was a super nice kid. Kind of troubled home, but who doesn't have one?

"I know Alice, but I just don't see that one happening."

"Okay."

Mike called me later that night and asked me to the dance. I explained my fears about dancing and stuff to him. He just laughed it off and told me to come anyway. I couldn't. He asked me if it was okay if he still went, without a date. I told him it was fine, and really it was. I didn't want him to be bored just because his girlfriend is a complete idiot.

Going to school with newer kids meant having to learn more names. I really needed to work on that. One morning when I got to school, I had some girl come up to me in the hallway and tell me all about how I needed to be careful with Mike. Apparently he's a 'womanizer'. I highly doubt that girl even knew what that word meant. I hardly knew!

"Bella, trust me. He's not good for you." This… Lauren girl said. I think that's her name anyway

"And how do you know what's good for me and what isn't?" I asked. Really, is that a bad question? People shouldn't be telling me what is and what isn't good for me. I can handle my own personal life, thank you very much.

"Bella, I know you don't know me and that I am from another school. But I know Mike. I mean I _know_ him if you get what I'm saying." Honestly, I'm not sure if I do get what she is saying but I let her continue on.

"Mike is more the love 'em and leave 'em kind of person. He doesn't want anything other than to…. experiment." Oh! I think I get what she is saying now, but that doesn't sound like Mike. I don't think he would ever do anything like that. He is too nice. He hasn't tried to do anything with me except hold my hand. Even when he did that, he seemed kind of nervous.

"Look, I appreciate the gesture and all, but I can handle myself."

Two weeks after that, the dance happened. When it was over, I expected Alice to come over and tell me about how it went and all, but she never once mentioned it. The next day at school I found a letter in my locker. It wasn't unusual because I always got notes from either Alice or Mike.

It read:

_Dear Bella,_

_I'm breaking up with you._

_You never want to hang out with me._

_Mike_

_I still have that note._

Let me know what you think. I also need a beta if anyone is interested? Just message me. I know things are starting slow but I promise, its going to be a good story -Jeni


	3. Chapter 3

Okay. I am going to have to skip ahead in some parts of school. Some parts are less important than others and I will be glossing over them. Just so you know.

Disclaimer- I don't own a thing except a bunch of bills, three kids, a husband, and a broken bookshelf that collapsed from all of my books…

**remember italicized denotes current time (Bella is 25) and the rest is the story when it was happening.

_I remember my entire eighth grade year. I dated Mike a few more times but nothing really changed. I wasn't the type of girl he was looking for. And honestly, that was okay. I became excellent friends with Alice and Edward, and of course, Emmett was Emmett. It was a great year._

**Freshman year of high school**

Damn.

That's really all I had for this day. Here it was, the middle of my freshman year, and Renee decides to drop a huge ass bombshell that we are moving to California. What the hell kind of Christmas present is this? I don't want to move. Alice is going to kill me for not giving her enough time to deal with my future absence. Edward… geeze. Him and I have become pretty good friends so he's going to be upset. Then there is Emmett. He has Rosalie (the blond girl that he became attached to last year) but he's going to be the hardest to tell.

I am going to miss my house. I sit here on my bed, looking around, and all I can think about is how I don't want to leave. I like my purple comforter on my bed. I know that's stupid, I am sure I can take it with me. But I want it here, on THIS bed, in THIS room, in THIS house. This is the house I grew up in. The house with the creaky floors that you have to walk just right on or you will let everyone in the house know you are up to something. The house with the window in the kitchen that sticks when you try to open it. The house in the middle of nowhere on a street that can barely be found unless you know where you are going. This is MY house.

This sucks.

"Emmett…" I start when I call to tell him the news. I don't think I can even tell him.

"Bellybean! Wait… why are you calling me? You never call. You just come over. Is something wrong?" He starts in a panic. He's right though. I never call. I thought about going to his house to tell him the news but I am not sure I can. I am a chickenshit.

"Well… I mean technically there's nothing _wrong_…"

"Bella just spit it out!"

"I-am-moving-to-California-next-week!" I rushed. Then I waited. And waited.

Next thing I know, Emmett has busted out laughing. That ass thinks I am joking! I would never joke about something this serious. And this is some serious shit.

"Emmett!" I yell into the receiver. My heart is pounding and I feel like I am about to have a panic attack as I try to tell him the news.

"I am not joking! I am moving. Next week. Charlie got a job out there and they think it will be better for the family. Some shit about us becoming more cultured…" I trailed off. He wouldn't care what the reasoning was anyway. The fact of the matter was we were going to be separated.

"No, Bells. You can't leave. We will figure something out. Maybe you can just stay with me. Or Edward and Alice?"

"I already suggested that, Em. I have to go. They won't let me stay. Can you call Edward and Alice and tell them to meet us in our spot?"

Our spot was in the middle of a meadow that Edward found last year. He was lost one day wandering around in the woods like a dumbass and somehow stumbled across the most beautiful area I had ever laid eyes on. The sun shone through the trees and made the leaves (when there were some) come to life and show their vibrant greens. It was remarkable. My favorite time to go there though was at night. The opening housed a perfect view to the stars and Edward and I would go there all the time with his telescope to look into the great abyss. It was beauty in one of its purest forms.

Sitting in our meadow, I told Alice and Edward what was going on. They had about the same reaction as Em did. At first they thought it was some lackluster joke I was attempting, but when they found out I was serious there was all kinds of anger. Alice offered to talk to Renee and Charlie, but I knew it was no use. Come this time next week, I would be in hell.

I was glad it was Christmas break because I did not feel like going to school. To be honest, I didn't feel like doing much of anything. All I wanted to do was treasure the time I had left with my friends. They all helped me pack my things. Although Rosalie and I weren't close, she knew how close Em and I were, and therefore she was there to help as well.

"Where do you want this?" Rosalie asked, holding up a stack of books from my bookshelf. There were some things I had to put in a moving truck that may not be at our new house when I got there. Of course, when I had to decide what to bring in the car and what to send, books went on my list of things I had to have with me when I got there. If my parents were sending me to hell, I had to have some way to escape it.

After telling her to stick them in the box, I took another look around my room. All I could see were bare walls, boxes piled up on the floor, and a group of friends here to help in any way they could before I had to leave. They really were a great group of friends. It was a shame I was going to have to leave them tomorrow.

The time came for me to pack up the car. We were leaving. It was really going to happen and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Charlie and Renee waited in the car for me while I said my last good-byes to my friends.

"Bella, promise me you will call me. Call me, text me, e-mail me, something… everyday!" Alice said through her tears. It was incredible how close we had become since last year. I felt like I was losing my family by moving. Em, Edward, and Alice were my family now, in every sense of the word. Even Rosalie was starting to become part of our close-knit group of friends.

"I promise," was all I could choke out before busting into sobs.

Edward came over to me and whispered in my ear, "I'm going to miss you, Bella. I will take care of Alice for you. Make sure you call us. We love you." After we hugged I turned to Em. It was going to be the hardest to say good-bye to him. How do you tell your best friend of 6 years good-bye?

Thankfully, I didn't have to because in that moment Em came over, grabbed me up in the biggest hug and told me that he refused to say good-bye.

"Bella, I'm going to find a way to get you home. If not, I will come see you on every break. I don't care if it's only for a few days. I can't be without my best friend. Stay safe, stay strong, and don't let anyone mess with you out there or they will have me to deal with when I get there. I love you."

As my parents drove away, I knew looking out my window that I would never find a better group of friends than those people standing in the driveway of my, now, old house. I loved them.

Author's Note: I know, kind of a sad chapter. Don't worry there are many more happy ones to come. Please review if this is worth keeping. In the next couple chapters, I am going to be skipping through all the high school jazz and get into the brunt of the story.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own anything… sadly.

Also, thanks merdarkandtwisty for my very first review!

_My time in California was spent in utter misery. I hated it there. I hated the sun. I hated the people. I hated the school. I hated the new house. I. Hated. Everything. After being stuck in the hellhole they call Canyon Country for 9 whole months, my parents finally gave up._

"Bella, get in here please," my mother called from downstairs. Great. Another 'come to Jesus' meeting where she would proceed to tell me I need to try harder to make friends. I need to put myself out there and quit pining for my old life. I need to get over it. Same shit, every day. I was in my sophomore year of high school. I didn't need for her to tell me how I was a loner at school and I hated my life. I was well aware of that. Trust me; even at a school as big as the one I was at, people still pick on the loners.

I trudged down the stairs. There really was no point in even pretending to be happy. When we first got here, that was what I did. I would act like the fact that my parents stuck my in hell was okay. Alice, Edward, Em, and even Rosalie wrote/called/text me every day. That was the only thing that got my through most days. I know that may seem very emo of me, but I couldn't help it. There were no words to describe my hatred for this place. I missed my home, where I grew up, where I wanted to finish growing up.

When I got downstairs, words couldn't describe the shock I felt at seeing Edward in my living room. And what a site he was. Since I left Forks, apparently God was good to him. He had shot up; at least 6 feet tall now, lost some of that baby weight, and filled out. I had to admit, Edward was looking hot.

"What are you doing here?" I cried as I leapt into his arms, shocking the hell out of him I am sure. I was just so excited to see someone from home that it could have been that bitch Jessica Stanley and I'd probably hug her.

"Bella, that's why we called you down here, we are going home. We didn't realize that moving here would make you fall into a depression this bad. Your father and I have decided it would be in our best interest to go back to Forks." I looked over at Edward to see if she was telling the truth. When he nodded his head I ran and gave my parents the biggest hugs imaginable. This was fantastic! Finally, an end to the hell I've felt for the past 9 months!

I turned back to Edward. "Not that I am not glad to see you Edward, but why exactly are you here?" I asked him confused. Don't get me wrong, I was elated to see him, but not sure why he came when I was going home.

He turned to my parents, I assume to see if he was supposed to explain or if they wanted to.

With a nod from them he began, "Well Bella, no one else knows you're coming home. Your parents called me to see if I would escort you home and help you get your house ready to be lived in. They were going to call Emmett, but they thought you might want to surprise him instead."

That was going to be perfect. For one, I got to surprise Em. I NEVER got to surprise him because I was a terrible secret-keeper when it came to shit like that. Two, I got to go home with Edward and would get to learn about this new hot Edward. This was the best day I had had in a LONG time.

It turned out that Edward had driven here from Forks. That meant a 2 day drive back where I would get to grill him about things that had happened since I left. When it came time to leave California, I couldn't wait to kiss that place good-bye!

"Yes, mom. I will call you every night when we stop. Edward will drive carefully and we will not speed!" I shouted out the window as we pulled out of the driveway. She acted like she was never going to see me again. It was going to be one week. Her and my dad were packing up our things at this house while I was supposed to air out the house unpack the things we were bringing home in Edwards car.

"I am so excited to be going home," I told Edward as we started down the road. While he was driving, I got to take a close look at him. Not that I hadn't been trying to while we were packing up stuff yesterday, but with the excitement I was feeling, it was hard to take him all in. He looked so different, yet the exact same. He was beautiful.

"I can tell. You haven't shut up since I got here," he smiled. His smile was radiant. I'm not sure why but it felt different being here with Edward than it did when I left Forks. I mean, while I was gone he had called and texted, but it wasn't the same as being with him now. Maybe it was because his appearance had changed, but I would like to think I'm not that shallow. Maybe it was because I could feel him sneaking looks at me when he thought I wasn't paying attention. Maybe it was because being around him felt as easy as being with Emmett, yet it was more intense.

When I caught him staring at me I called him out on it.

"Why are you staring at me?"

"You look… different," he deadpanned. He seemed almost nervous but I am not sure why I, of all people, would make him feel nervous. I was just Bella.

"Different bad or different good? Honestly, the only thing I have changed is that my hair is longer and more manageable." While being in California, since I spent all of my time in my room, I worked on making my hair more presentable out of boredom. I'm sure Alice would be proud.

"Different good… definitely good" he said under his breath. I don't think he meant for me to hear that. Maybe this difference I was feeling wasn't just my imagination. I guess it was something I could ponder while on this trip.

I reached over to change his radio station at the same time he did and when our finger touched, I shit you not, there was a spark. A flipping spark. I jerked my hand back when he did. I was almost positive he felt it too.

"Go ahead, our music tastes are the same anyway. I am sure you can give us something to listen to that doesn't suck," he said looking away from me.

He was right though. Our taste in music was pretty much the same. I had an eclectic variety of things I listened to. I could listen to anything from Metallica to the Biebs. Don't judge me.

I picked some random ass station on the radio but kept it turned down. I really wanted to catch up with Edward while we were alone. Maybe it would help me sort through my thoughts. He interrupted before I could start though.

"So… did you leave a boyfriend back there in California?" he asked. Was he kidding me? I didn't leave behind shit in California, save for my parents who would be with me again eventually.

"Ha ha," I scoffed.

"I take that as a no?" he questioned. That was such a stupid question. I talked to him all the time and never once did I mention a boyfriend. However, that led me to a more important question.

"That's a definite negative. Speaking of which though, how are you doing in the girlfriend department? Is there anyone I should know about?" He hadn't mentioned anyone when we talked before, but then again, I never asked.

"Well… there's Tanya. But I don't know how serious that actually is. We have been kind of talking ya know but.. I don't know now," he finished, staring out the window. He almost seemed like he was trying to explain himself to me. Hell, I had just seen him again for the first time in almost a year. He was old enough to make his own decisions.

"That's cool." I really didn't know what else to say. I guess at this time, my questioning of my weird feelings was a moot point. He was pretty much in a relationship and if there was one thing I didn't do, it was get involved in that type of shit.

Throughout our trip, I had caught up with Edward. We talked about everything and everyone. He told me how Em and Rosalie were doing (although I already knew because Em sent me pretty much an hourly text telling me what he was doing) and that Alice had met a guy named Jasper who seemed pretty cool. He thought they were secretly dating but didn't want to make a big deal about it.

He told me about Tanya and how they met. I did not like the sound of this Tanya girl, but really, what could I do? Another one of those thoughts I would have to ponder at a later time.

We stayed the night at a hotel the first night. The only room available only had one bed, and of course, Edward being the gentleman he is, offered to take the couch. I, however, did not see a problem with us sleeping in the same bed. We were both exhausted and I would hate to have him falling asleep while driving tomorrow just because I was a girl and he slept on that rickety couch.

"Are you sure?" he asked for the billionth time. I rolled my eyes and walked to the bathroom to change into my pajamas. I guess he took the hint because when I got back to the room he was sound asleep on the bed, having already changed into the jersey shorts he apparently slept in. I took a second to admire his face without his watchful eyes. While I was talking to Edward on our trip, I felt like I saw a glimpse into his soul. Looking at his peaceful face while he was sleeping, I noticed his face was_ almost_ as beautiful as his soul.

Thinking about the fact that he was in a relationship and I couldn't get him or his beautiful soul out of my head, I came to one conclusion.

I was in huge trouble.

AN: Yeah I skipped through the California crap. It wasn't really important but it did happen. And, it was terrible. Enough said. Reviews let me know someone is out there that things this doesn't suck. It will kind of pick up next chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own anything… except a dead battery on my lawn mower apparently.

I seriously could not wait to surprise Emmett.

This was going to be epic.

Edward and I had gotten home this morning. We rested for a few hours and then came up with an awesome plan to tell Em, Rose, and Alice that I was back. He was going to tell them all to meet him at my house, spewing some BS about how my parents needed them to find something to send me for my birthday that was in the house. He was going to say they asked him to get it but he couldn't find it and when they went to look for it BAM… I was going to come out. I was so excited. We debated waiting until I got back to classes to surprise them but I couldn't wait that long and honestly… the more people we had to help air out the house, the better. Thank God it was fall break. I needed all the help I could get in this house.

"So is everyone coming?" I asked him. He told them to meet him at seven o'clock and I was waiting anxiously. It was about 6:30 so we had some time to kill.

"Yes, Bella; geeze. Calm down."

"Ugh the excitement is killing me. I can't wait to see them!" I paced around my living room. We had opened up the windows in the house earlier before napping, but I didn't feel like doing a whole lot of anything else. That trip was one long-ass car ride. I felt like I got to know Edward all over again though. I had even gotten to the point where I felt like I could honestly say I liked Edward. Like _liked _him. I was hoping this Tanya business wasn't serious because I had a MAJOR crush on him. Maybe Alice could help me out with this. It was her brother after all… or maybe that would be too awkward for her. Ugh, I would figure out this mess later.

"Bella, please stop pacing."

I sat down beside him on the couch, trying to control my urge to touch him. I swear, since I had seen him again, that's all I wanted to do. Touch him, somewhere. When the car would stop, I would catch my hands moving, trying to go through his hair. I REALLY wanted to run my hands through his beautiful bronze locks. That would have been embarrassing if I hadn't been able to stop my hands. It's like my mind and my heart were disconnected where he was concerned.

Instead of pacing, I started to wring my hands, my other nervous habit.

"I can't help it. It's been so long since I've seen everyone. What if they have replaced me as their friend? What if they have been lying on the phone when they said they missed me?" I felt kind of stupid admitting it out loud but it was in my head. Apparently my filter was gone where Edward was concerned too.

He grabbed my hand and the spark was back. I took a second to relish in the hand holding, and then I turned my attention toward him. He looked amazing in a blue button up shirt, dark blue jeans, and some black converses. As I was taking him all in, I wondered why he hadn't let go of my hand.

"Bella, don't be silly. You're irreplaceable." I had to look away from him, not believing what he said for a second. Boring Bella was definitely replaceable. There was honestly nothing special about me, but the way he said that made me feel special. Stupid huh? He grabbed my chin to turn my attention back to him, although my attention never really left him. When I looked into his eyes, I knew what was going to happen as he leaned in towards me. As he got nearer, his eyes asked for permission and I guess he saw what he needed in my face because he gave me the sweetest, most amazing kiss ever. It was heart-stopping. Fireworks flashed in my head as I closed my eyes to take it all in. I never knew that a simple kiss could make me feel what I was feeling. It was the excitement of Christmas morning mixed with the adrenaline from a long run and the wonder of a new book that you couldn't put down. It was astounding. He slowly pulled away and I put my fingers to my lips, not believing what just happened.

"Bella, I…" he trailed off. He looked like he was trying to smile, yet trying to judge my reaction.

Next thing I knew, I crashed my lips to his, my heart doing all the talking. He grabbed my face as he slipped his tongue in my mouth, my hands snaking through his hair like they had wanted to do all along. If possible, this heated kiss was even better than the first one, full of passion. We pulled away when we were out of breath.

"There are no words…" I was cut off by the slamming of a car door.

"Shit they are here, hide!" he exclaimed, pushing me towards my hiding spot.

While I was in the closet hiding, I had a few minutes to think before I heard Emmett climbing up the stairs on my front porch. I knew I was only 16 (almost) and that feelings for others in high school changed for kids everyday but I couldn't imagine anyone, no matter their age, sharing a kiss like that… with so much ardor.

"Okay Edward, what is it that we are looking for again? I don't like being in Bella's house without Bella." Emmett's booming voice said. I smiled. I couldn't wait for him to see me. I really needed him to help me sort through these feelings. Preferably, before Alice found out. She could read me like a book.

"I don't know. It's some book of Bella's. It's one she left here on accident and Renee said she was really upset so she thought it would lift her spirits. You know how much Bella hates it there," Edward lied. Well, not about the hating it there part.

"Try looking in that closet, she said it could be in any closet or maybe even on her bookcase upstairs." It was time!

"Why the hell would Bella leave her book down here in the clos…" he trailed off as he pulled the door to the closet open.

"Holy shit! I found more than her book, I found Bellyboo!" He said as he picked me up and twirled me around in true Emmett fashion.

"What?" Alice said. When she saw me, excitement lit up her face. They were glad I was home. I hadn't been replaced.

"Belly, what are you doing here? I thought you were in California. And how come Edward got to know and I didn't? I'm your best friend!" he tried to sound sad, but the big smile on his face was unconvincing.

"Slow down. We are moving back! Mom and Dad knew I hated it there so we are coming back. They called Edward to come get me so that I could surprise you, Em!" I said with happiness in my voice.

"I KNEW you weren't going on some football trip, Edward!" Alice shouted at him.

"Duh, Alice. Mom and Dad knew where I was though, so don't go having a hissy fit."

She ran over and hugged me once Emmett let me out of his grip. I was so happy to see all of them and I felt like I was finally _home_ in every sense of the word. I couldn't wait to catch up with everyone.

That night was spent doing just that. Between sneaking looks at Edward, I was getting reacquainted with my friends and I could not have been happier. The only thought that was plaguing my mind was about that kiss. What did it mean? I couldn't deny I liked Edward. My feelings were obvious. No, it was his feelings that I was confused about. He said he was talking to Tanya so where did that leave us? Was there ever going to be an _us_ to worry about?

"Belly, what's wrong?" Em whispered. He must have noticed my conflicted expression because he dragged me upstairs to my room.

"Okay, spill it. I know you are excited to be home, so I know that can't be what's bothering you. But, I know something is wrong." He looked concerned. How did I tell him what happened? I didn't keep things from him or Alice. Thankfully, Alice hadn't asked what was wrong because I didn't know how I would tell her.

"Well, you see… um… I think that I like Edward?" It came out more like a question.

"Okay. So what? I like Edward too. I thought you liked Edward before you left, or were you just trying to not hurt my feelings because we are friends?" He was definitely not getting what I was saying. I paced around my bedroom, trying to find the words.

"No, Em. I _like_ Edward."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, how did this happen?"

"Well, we rode home together ya know? I guess it's the first time I've gotten to talk to him that much without someone else there. I like what I got to know about him." I said shyly. It kind of mattered what Em thought about this. I needed his input because he was my best friend.

"Well, honestly, I think that's great. I have known since I met Edward that he liked you. He never told me but I could tell. You guys are into all the same stuff. I've never seen anyone with a Harry Potter obsession as bad as yours until I met Edward." He was right. I loved me some Harry Potter.

"So you don't think it's a bad idea? He said he was talking to Tanya but he didn't know how serious it was. That was before we kissed though…"

"You guys kissed? Was it awesome? When Rose and I kiss she does this thing…"

"Don't need to know that Em," I cut him off. "But yes, it was pretty amazing." I smiled thinking about it again.

"The real question here, is did you tell Edward you liked him?" came Alice's voice from the doorway. Shit! I hope she wasn't mad. I would never do anything to make Alice upset with me. I loved her like a sister.

"Um… well no." I deadpanned.

"Well, if you want to get to him before that bitch Tanya does, I suggest you do it, and you do it now. I've known Edward liked you since he met you, Bella. And he _did_ tell me. I hate Tanya. I will not let her ruin my brother by sinking her nasty claws into him," she said angrily. Apparently there was quite a bit of hostility there. She was not a fan of this Tanya which led me to believe I wouldn't be either.

Just because she didn't like Tanya, didn't mean she liked the thought of me with Edward though. Sensing my hesitation, she came over and gave me a hug.

"I love you, Bella. With or without Edward. I think you two would be epic together, but I also love you as my sister." I knew then it would be alright.

I was going to have to talk to Edward.

Getting a chance to talk to Edward was harder than it seemed. Throughout their fall break, we never got a chance to talk about things. I planned to talk to him today after my first day of school. Through the week, I still felt him staring at me, and it made me feel good. It made me feel like telling him wouldn't be as bad as I was worried it might be. I had asked him to come to my house so we could talk. I could do this. It wouldn't be so bad.

After school, I went home and finished up my homework. I know, first day back and I already had a ton of homework. Go figure. It helped keep my mind off what was about to happen when Edward got here.

Finally, I heard a knock on my door. I tripped going down the stairs in the rush to get to him. I was so nervous, yet so excited at the same time. When I opened the door, I was once again astounded by the sight of him. He seemed nervous too. Maybe he knew what I was going to say or maybe he wanted to tell me something too. Either way, we would soon find out.

"Come on in, Edward."

He walked in and I pointed to the couch. We had recently gotten this room cleaned up, and it was with good timing too. My parents would be back tomorrow and the entire house was officially done. He sat down, and you could tell he wasn't sure what was going in, why I had asked him to come over,

"So, what's up Bella? Not that I don't enjoy hanging out with you but… you said you needed to talk about something?" he questioned.

"Yes. I don't know where to start. I've never had to do this before."

"Okay just spit it out, you're worrying me." I bet I was. I had never been one to beat around the bush. It was now or never.

"Well Edward, it's about the kiss," I started, gauging his reaction.

"That was…"

"Let me finish," I cut him off. If I didn't do this now, I might lose my bravado. He nodded and gestured for me to continue.

"Edward, I know we have been friends for a while. I never thought of you as more than a friend before you showed up in California. I rode with you home, getting to know you better than I had before. Well I guess what I'm getting at is that I like you. Like, _like_ you…" I trailed off. I looked away from him, fearing the rejection I might see in his eyes. Now that I had actually put my heart out there, I was terrified.

"Bella, I like you too. There is something I need to tell you though. "All I heard out of that sentence was that he liked me too. This was great!

He started rubbing his left eye. "Ugh can I use your bathroom first? My contact is messing up." I nodded as he walked away. He was notorious for having problems with his contacts when he was around me.

His cell started ringing and I saw Alice's face popped up on the screen so I answered it, knowing he wouldn't mind. Before I could even say hello, I heard her voice screaming through the phone.

"EDWARD ANTHONY CULLEN! HOW DARE YOU DO THIS? I CAME HOME TO TANYA FREAKING DENALI ON MY FRONT PORCH! I ASKED HER WHY SHE WAS THERE AND YOU KNOW WHAT SHE TELLS ME? SHE SAID SHE WAS HERE TO SEE HER _BOYFRIEND_. HER BOYFRIEND! AS IN YOU! HOW DARE YOU KISS BELLA LAST WEEK AND THEN GO AND START DATING THAT SLUTBAG! HOW FUCKING STUPID ARE YOU, EDWARD?"

"Umm…Alice, he will call you back." I said as I dropped his phone to the ground.

"Bella!" She called into the receiver. I ignored her, feeling the blood run from my face and my hands start shaking. Edward came back downstairs and immediately started asking what was wrong.

"You're white as a sheet Bella, what happened?" His phone started ringing again but he ignored it seeing that it was just Alice.

All the anger I was feeling finally got to be too much so I did what any rational teenage girl would do. I slapped the shit out of him.

"Go ask your fucking girlfriend, Edward."

"I can explain, Bella," he said as he started walking towards me.

"Get out of my house," I spat. I was livid.

More importantly, I was heartbroken.

Long chapter. Whatcha think?

Review please!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except strep throat.

After Edward had left, I sat down on my couch to really think about things. I actually felt pretty stupid. He told me he was talking to Tanya. I KNEW he was talking to another girl, yet I let things get out of control. I. Was. A. Fucking. Idiot.

I think the thing that really bothered me the most was that HE kissed ME the first time. Granted, I kissed him back quickly after and I didn't ask him to stop the first time, but still. He told me that things weren't serious and that they were just 'talking'. What the hell did that even mean?

I laid down on the couch and put some mindless cooking show on the television. Thankfully, my parents had called to get the cable, electric, phone, and water turned back on. Distraction in the form of learning how to sauté shrimp was the best.

Trying to gauge how I felt about the situation turned into a bigger problem than I thought. Was I mad? Hell yes I was mad. That was a dick move no matter what anyone else said. Was I hurt? Yes. I felt like we had some kind of deeper connection- stupid at 16, I know. What exactly was I hurt about? I think I was more hurt that I had to find out from Alice and not from him. I mean, Edward was supposed to be my friend regardless. He could have at least grown some balls to tell me what happened himself.

I had to stop thinking about it. I was getting myself more and more pissed off. Hearing someone knocking on the door, I glanced up at the clock. It was seven o'clock so I didn't know who it could be. Maybe Emmett? God, it better not be Edward.

"Bella, its Al, open up the damn door! It's fucking freezing out here!" Guess that answers my question.

As soon as I turned the door knob she came rushing in and crashed into me giving me a hug. Before I could make out what she was saying, she was talking quietly in my ear.

"…and he punched him and he deserved it. Edward is a complete asshole. I understand if he wants to have a girlfriend, but he shouldn't have led you on like that. I fucking hate Tanya and I am never going to talk to him again. Please don't hate me, Bella. You are my best friend and I am so sorry my brother is a complete bitch!" She was crying now.

"Alice, calm down. Why would I be mad at you? It's not like you told him to do it. And who punched who? And, you have to talk to him. He is your brother!" I think I answered all of the things I meant to. Honestly, it was hard to hear or remember what she said when she talked so fast. I lead her to the kitchen table and told her to sit down while I got us some drinks. She looked horrible. She was still in her clothes from school (which was unusual) and her eyes were puffy from crying. I hated that my friend thought I would be mad at her.

"Emmett punched Edward. His jaw is bruised and he has a black eye. I don't even care. He deserved it."

"How does Em even know about it?"

"Apparently he was leaving school today and heard Tanya talking about how she was going over to her boyfriend's house. After he asked her who was stupid enough to want such a whore for a girlfriend, she told him Edward. He rushed to the house and as soon as Edward answered the door, he punched him. Didn't even say a word to him or anything, just BAM! And you know what? Edward didn't try to defend himself or anything. He looked so dejected, like he knew it was wrong. If he knew it was so wrong, why the hell didn't he say something?" Alice and Em were clearly pissed off too. I was glad to have friends like that, but I didn't want their friendships being strained because of something that happened between us. They didn't need to be mad at him just because I was.

"Oh. I appreciate him standing up for me. But, this isn't his battle. It's not yours either. You are my best girlfriend. I love you. I don't care that your brother is an asshole, it won't change how close we are, I promise." I gave her a hug. It was true. I loved Alice like a sister. I would never let her brother, or anyone else, come between us.

A few minutes later, Emmett walked in the front door. He never knocked if he knew I was home. My parents never said anything about it either. It was just how Emmett was, walking into the place like he was the son they never had.

"That stupid-fucking-piece-of-shit!" he was mumbling under his breath when he found us in the living room.

"I swear Bella, I had no idea he was actually going to date that bitch. When I talked to him last night, he said it wasn't serious and that he was going to quit talking to her. I don't know what the fuck happened to him, but I could kill him!" he spat. He was super angry. I got up to give my best friend a big bear hug, and told him the same thing I told Alice. I didn't need him to fight my battles, and I'd be damned if I let him come between our friendship, or I got in between theirs. I wouldn't be mad if they still wanted to talk to Edward or be his friend. That was their choice. I, however, didn't know when or if I would ever be able to look at him the same. In my mind he went from awesome, sweet, caring Edward to douchebag in a matter of minutes.

Eventually I calmed them both down and told them I really wanted to be alone. I just wanted to sleep this day away and, hopefully, wake up for school refreshed.

The next morning, I woke up feeling calm about the day ahead. I probably wouldn't talk to Edward but in all honesty, he was a teenage boy. They are prone to mistakes. Granted, we kissed, but we weren't together. I would forgive him… eventually, of that I was sure. But, I couldn't imagine it being anytime soon.

When I got to school it was like I was in the Twilight Zone. Anyone who was friends with Tanya looked at me like I was Satan and I didn't understand. Why were they mad at me? Hell, she got the guy right? I ignored them and went to my locker. They were whores anyway.

I opened my locker and a note fell out. Sadly, I didn't have time to read it because I was running a bit later than usual. When I got to my Geometry class, I got a chance to read it and it was from Edward.

_Bella,_

_I am sorry. I know what I did was a dick move but I need to explain. I know you won't listen to me tell you in person but I know you will read this. You never leave something unread. First of all, I like you. A lot. I know your opinion of me has probably changed and I deserve it. I was being honest before when I said that Tanya and I were talking but it wasn't serious. Hell, I didn't even know if she liked me. When I went to get you from California it didn't even matter. I found that I REALLY liked you, ya know? Like more than the friend-like I had for you before. Ugh I'm not really explaining myself right. Um, Tanya was talking to me in school yesterday and her friends came up to her while she was talking to me. Next thing I know, they were asking her if I was her boyfriend and she said yes. Before I got a chance to tell her no, her friends giggled and left. I didn't even have a chance to talk to her about it because the bell rang and I was running late for bio. God, I cannot believe I let this happen. I am so sorry, Bella. You are an amazing friend to me. I really like you, but I would never want anything to come in between our friendship on top of that ya know? I'm sure it won't make any difference, but I talked to her this morning. I told her she was a bitch and not to talk to me again. Hopefully that keeps her away from me. I guess that's all. Write me back or come talk to me when you feel like you can. Again, I'm sorry._

_xE_

That explained all the death looks I was getting. I'm glad he told me what happened. It was a misunderstanding, but maybe this just meant that whatever was progressing wasn't meant to be. It did make forgiving him easier and now that I thought about it, he had been trying to tell me something before his contact got stuck. Ugh, this was all so confusing!

I went through the first half of the day without much incident aside from the whore-clan's death glares. When I went to Bio after lunch, I sat down in my seat, where Edward would sit next to me as my partner, without hesitation. I wanted him to know that I didn't hate him and I would have to talk to him eventually.

"Can I sit here?" He asked shyly when he walked up. God, why did he have to look so hot? Even with his bruised jaw and black eye, I doubt anyone else could ever pull off his simple look of a black t-shirt, light blue jeans, and vans the way that he did. I just nodded at him, afraid of what might come out of my mouth if I said anything while I was thinking of his body.

He sat down and asked me if I got his letter. Luckily, class hadn't started yet so I had a few minutes to tell him what I was thinking before I whimped out.

"I got it. Thank you for explaining. I do like you Edward. More than you can imagine. That kiss was… ugh. Amazing. Anyway, like I said, I like you but what about our friendship? I mean…Maybe this was all a sign that we should just stay friends? I wouldn't want to ruin our friendship. I mean, what if we dated, went out for a year, had a horrible break-up, and we quit speaking? I never want to lose you as a friend. In the past couple weeks, you have become one of my best friends, and I am not ready to lose that." There. It was all out in the open what I thought. I hated it though. I wanted nothing more than to kiss him again and tell him I wanted to be his girlfriend, but I also never wanted to lose him.

"I understand," was all he said.

AN: AWWW sad right? No worries. There is more to come. Next chapter skips ahead a bit again. Gotta get ready to turn this into the military story I promised! Sorry the update took a bit. I have strep throat and three kids. Not much time for anything else lol. Review and let me know what you think! Thanks to the reviews so far!

XOXO


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